Soviet tank crew, 1939-1942

The armored troops made the main striking power of the Red Army in period of the end of 1930s - beginning 1940s. Their main task was a breakthrough of the enemy defences and development of an offensive. By quantity of tanks and armored cars the Red Army had no equal to itself. The armored troops received participation in rout of Japanese troops on a Khalhin-Gol river in 1939, and also in occupation of the Western Ukraine. In an initial stage of World War II armored units and formations were forced to conduct defensive and have suffered heavy losses.